Kapono Wrestling Mightily With Decision on NBA Career

Jason Kapono, the closest thing to a finished product among the raw, hectic UCLA basketball Bruins, even with only one college season of experience, might just be finished, period. His father is indicating that the All-Pacific 10 Conference forward will make himself available for the NBA draft.

Jason himself?

He isn’t saying anything publicly, which says plenty.

A young player who had poise from Day 1 of his college career is clearly struggling with the decision, much more than he seemed to expect 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he confirmed The Times’ report that he had not closed the door to jumping to the pros. He was planning to stay, he said, but just wanted to consider all the options.

By Friday night, as the deadline for a final decision approached, he was considering himself right into a pretzel. Media savvy even as a freshman, Kapono stopped returning phone messages. He was talking of putting out a brief statement in a press release, no matter which way he went, and hoping to leave his comments at that.

One day, he was strongly hinting to school officials that he would stay.

Another, he was going to declare for the NBA before the Sunday cutoff, but just to test the waters, planning to make the rounds with interested teams without hiring an agent so he would be free to pull out of the draft by June 21 and be eligible to return to UCLA.

Other days, it was more along the lines of leaving, once and for all. Not turning back.

The NBA awaits his decision with interest. Kapono, the conference’s co-freshman of the year, probably wouldn’t be picked as high as Jerome Moiso, the Bruin power forward leaving after his sophomore season, and might not even go before JaRon Rush, Kapono’s backup, depending on how Rush performs at pre-draft workouts. But Kapono is considered by some teams to have a good chance to be picked late in the first round, which would mean a three-year guaranteed contract, another season at the club option and the right of first refusal starting with the fifth year.

And then there’s the other side.

“Middle of the second round,” said one scout who watched the Bruins, surprised that Kapono was even considering the move.

Said a personnel director: “He’s not where he needs to be with his quickness. But he knows how to play. He knows how to get open.”

Those feelings are nearly unanimous, partly because Kapono is much further along in his development and maturity than Moiso and the enigmatic Rush. He has that intangible feel for the game. He can shoot. He can pass. He plays smart. Plus, he’s a good citizen and a fan favorite.

He just can’t play with much speed say the people who work in the league that covets guys who leave tire tracks.

“Who’s he going to defend?” the scout asked, envisioning small forwards blowing past Kapono.

Good question. It’s the same one the Bruins are wondering about, hoping the answer will come back:

He’ll defend the small forward from Arizona. And Stanford. And . . .